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Show IN GCTTNPLAYERS Ruppert Tells of Obstacles Encountered in Attempt to Strengthen. In the Baseball Magazine for June, Colonel Jacob Huppert, part owner of the Yankees, tells how he has tried to build up a winning club after having spent $200,000 with but little success. "For several years I have had my eye on Pratt of St. Louis. I cannot say that he is a better player than Gedeon, but he has played better ball and we wanted him. Well, how did 1 get him? 1 paid $15,000 m cash and ave away a number of good players lor him. But what can you dof 1 needed him. One thing was certain, I couldn't come back empty handed. I had to do something to build up the club after the loss of several valuable men to army service. And I got what I went after, though I had to pay out of all reason for hiin. "This is a deal which actually went through. Let me cite another deai which, I believe, should have gone through, but didn't. 1'or some nine 1 have had my eyes on Joe Bush and Amos'Strunk of the Athletics. Last year I asked Mack if it would be possible pos-sible to interest him in a deal for these players. He said to me, 'I have sold my last player. ' 'All righ,' I said, 'if you change your mind let me know.' 'I will,' said he. Talks With Mack. "Time went on and finally I received re-ceived word that Mack would be willing will-ing to see me and talk things over. He didn't want to be observed discussing discuss-ing things with me in Philadelphia, because be-cause he was afraid some newspaper man would see him and start the story of a sensational trade. Neither for the matter of that, did he want to come to New York. So he suggested that we meet and talk it. over at Trenton. Nobody ever goes to Trenton unless he has important business to negotiate. But I met him at Trenton and we adjourned ad-journed to a small hotel, where we, no doubt, were looked upon as a, couple of gunmen discussing a future hold-up game. ' 'I can't talk to you about Bush,' began Mack, 'because I already have given a certain club an option on Bush But I can 't say that this club will go through with the option. If they fall down, I will let yon know. However, for certain reasons, I have decided to let go of Stnink and Schang and if you want these men I am willing will-ing to 'talk business. I want $25,000 for Schang.' Wanted Amos Strunk. " 'Well, Mack,' I said, 'I'm not so particular about Schang. I don't really need a catcher so much, anyway. ' 'Well,' said Mack, 'he can certainly hit. But I don't know as Schang would be the man you need most on your chib.' " 'Not at that price,' I told him. 'But I would make you an offer of $10,000 for Strunk.' " 'J. couldn't consider it,' said Mack. 'I couldn't even think of it. I must get $75,000 for these threo men. I will sell them for that figure, but if I had to sell two of them separately, I would want more than $50,000 for them. I wouldn't agree to let them go for $50,-"00, $50,-"00, but there isn't any hurry. Think it over aud decide what you" are willing will-ing to do. ' " 'I will do that, Mack,' I said, 'only be sure to let me know before you go through with this thing with any other club, for I certainly want Strunk and Bush, anyway.' Red Sox Win. "So we adjourned. Mack went back to Philadelphia, and I took the same train for Washington. But Mack sat in one-end of the car, entire' oblivious of my presence at the other end. "Well, 3'ou all know what happened. The Red Sox got Bush and Schang and Strunk in a sensational deal. "When I made the. offer of $10,000 for Strunk I was willing to go higher and Mack has certainly done enough trading in his day to know that I would go higher. A man seldom makes his highest bid first." "Captain Houston and myself have spent over $200,000 in strengthening the Yankees since we purchased the club. We paid $37,500 for Frank Baker; we paid $25,000 for Lee. Magee, and we nave got rid of a young fortune on other oth-er players who couldn 't deliver the goods. And we have had some of the most frightful luck I ever heard' of. This may be a common alibi of Hie loser, but it has the substantiation of fact, in our case, at least. For at one time we had no fewer than eleven meu on the hospital list. Bill Donovan was the finest fellow in the world and I hated to let him go. But business won 't wait. He had been handicapped by the worst of luck, as I well realized, but after three years we didn't seem to be advancing very fast aud I felt that it was to the best interests of the club to make a change." |